Stéphanie Frappart has been showered with praise after she became the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match.

Joined by assistant referees Neuza Back and Karen Díaz Medina, the 38-year-old took charge of Germany’s thrilling 4-2 victory against Costa Rica.

It was a disappointing conclusion to the tournament for both teams, with Spain and Japan progressing from Group E instead.

Despite the magnitude of the occasion, Frappart was cool and composed, receiving widespread praise from social media users.

How did football fans react to Stéphanie Frappart’s performance?

Frappart was praised for letting the match flow, with one Twitter user writing: “Honestly Stephanie Frappart ref great game! Great VAR decisions and great job playing the advantage and keeping the game moving”.

Another posted: “Can I just say that Stephanie Frappart has probably been one of the best referee in the World Cup?

“Let the game flow and took decisions only when it was clear and obvious. Fair play FIFA.”

Others were more concise with their assessment, but no less admiring. One post read: “Stephanie Frappart is a fantastic referee. Great performance”, while another said: “Stephanie Frappart is an incredible ref.”

Football journalist Henry Winter also took the time to praise Frappart, suggesting that she was one of the best referees in the sport.

"A lot of understandable discourse about Stéphanie Frappart the pioneer," he wrote "What also needs mentioning is Frappart the talented referee, who controls a game with authority, good positioning and decision-making.

"Tries to let the game flow. Football needs refs of Frappart's calibre."

Who is Stéphanie Frappart?

Frappart became the first female referee in Ligue 1 in April 2019, and has gone on to officiate a number of high-profile matches.

She was the referee for the 2019 Women’s World Cup final between the United States and the Netherlands, and the Super Cup clash between Liverpool and Chelsea just one month later.

The latter fixture made Frappart the first woman to officiate in a major men’s European match.

BRAGA, PORTUGAL - SEPTEMBER 30: The referee, Stéphanie Frappart during the UEFA Europa League group F match between Sporting Braga and FC Midtjylland at Estadio Municipal de Braga on September 30, 2021 in Braga, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

The milestones keep on coming. In December 2020, Frappart became the first woman to referee a Champions League match, before taking charge of a FIFA World Cup qualifier the following year.

Frappart was one of three female referees on FIFA’s list of 36 for the 2022 World Cup, travelling with Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita to Qatar.

Before the tournament, the 38-year-old revealed hopes that the inclusion of female referees would “make things happen”.

“It’s a strong sign from FIFA and the authorities to have women referees in that country,” she said.

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